Lobbyist Loophole Closure Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7231 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7231

  To amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to expand the scope of 
  individuals and activities which are subject to the requirements of 
                   such Act, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 22, 2026

Mrs. Ramirez (for herself, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mr. Mullin, and Ms. 
    Simon) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to expand the scope of 
  individuals and activities which are subject to the requirements of 
                   such Act, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Lobbyist Loophole Closure Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING SCOPE OF INDIVIDUALS AND ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO 
              REQUIREMENTS OF LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1995.

    (a) Coverage of Individuals Providing Legislative, Political, and 
Strategic Counseling Services.--
            (1) Treatment of legislative, political, and strategic 
        counseling services in support of lobbying contacts as lobbying 
        activity.--Section 3(7) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 
        (2 U.S.C. 1602(7)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``efforts'' and inserting ``any 
                efforts''; and
                    (B) by striking ``research and other background 
                work'' and inserting the following: ``counseling in 
                support of such preparation and planning activities, 
                research, and other background work''.
            (2) Treatment of lobbying contact made with support of 
        counseling services as lobbying contact made by individual 
        providing services.--Section 3(8) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 
        1602(8)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
        subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Treatment of providers of counseling 
                services.--Any individual, with authority to director 
                or substantially influence any lobbying contact made by 
                another individual, and for financial or other 
                compensation provides counseling services in support of 
                preparation and planning activities which are treated 
                as lobbying activities under paragraph (7) for that 
                other individual's lobbying contact and who has 
                knowledge that the specific lobbying contact was made, 
                shall be considered to have made the same lobbying 
                contact at the same time in the same manner to the 
                covered executive branch official or covered 
                legislative branch official involved.''.
    (b) Reduction of Percentage Exemption for Determination of 
Threshold of Lobbying Contacts Required for Individuals To Register as 
Lobbyists.--Section 3(10) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 1602(10)) is amended by 
striking ``less than 20 percent'' and inserting ``less than 10 
percent''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to lobbying contacts made on or after the date of 
the enactment of this Act.
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